Olive Oil: Healthy or a Calorie Bomb? What You Need to Know

Olive oil: the lubricant of Mediterranean civilization. It is often seen as a healthy ingredient and is good to use in dressings, sauces, and in the pan. Yet you often hear warnings to be frugal with it, because one teaspoon can already contain 'hundreds' of kilocalories. It may sound exaggerated, but is it really? Or is the effect of olive oil on your calorie consumption actually not that bad?

The type of olive oil also matters: when do you choose extra virgin olive oil, and when is the regular, cheaper version from the supermarket sufficient? Many people do not know exactly what the difference is, or when you can best use which one.

Is olive oil a healthy product? According to the Nutrition Centre , it is. Olive oil is extracted from the flesh and pits of olives and comes in different types, such as regular, refined and extra virgin. It is included in the Wheel of Five, which means that a product is nutritious, contributes to a healthy, balanced diet and that it is recommended to eat a product daily. This is due to the high content of unsaturated fats and vitamin E, both of which are good for your health.

Olive oil consists of about 70 percent mainly monounsaturated fatty acids and has a high content of vitamin E. This vitamin protects your body cells from damage, helps heal wounds and makes your immune system stronger. Unsaturated fat is also known for its beneficial health effects. It lowers LDL cholesterol, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Although olive oil is generally considered a healthy product, it is 'rich in calories'. There are 90 kilocalories in 1 tablespoon (10 grams) of olive oil. That may sound like a lot, but if you compare it to other products, it is even lower. Butter and coconut fat for example: butter contains approximately 111 kilocalories per 10 grams, while coconut fat is even higher in calories, namely 116 kilocalories per 10 grams.

Olive oil is also different in terms of fat type: butter contains mainly saturated fats of animal origin, while coconut fat is vegetable, but also rich in saturated fat. From a 'nutritional point of view', olive oil, with mainly unsaturated fats, is often seen as a healthier option than these two.

So whether you use olive oil or another type of 'fat' to cook with, the calorie intake remains the same. So it's all about the amount you use if you want to achieve a calorie deficit, for example.

Oil is the best fat for frying and roasting, says Tiny van Boekel , professor of Food Technology. She also mentions a handy mnemonic to remember whether a 'fat' is healthy: "Liquid fat usually contains unsaturated fats, while solid fats are often rich in saturated, less healthy fats." The Nutrition Center confirms this: it is better to eat mainly unsaturated fats, because they lower LDL cholesterol.

But is it wise to use less olive oil if you want to lose weight, if you want to believe all the 'nutritionists' on social media? Many dieticians do indeed recommend this, but emphasize that you certainly do not have to avoid olive oil. It remains a healthy product, rich in good fats. They do often advise using a spray instead of a bottle, because you automatically use less oil, without sacrificing taste.

There are different types of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality: purely mechanically pressed without heat, with a fruity flavor and low acidity. Virgin olive oil is also cold-pressed, but slightly less refined in flavor. Refined olive oil is something different again, processed to remove impurities, which makes the flavor more neutral and makes it suitable for frying. Regular olive oil is a mixture of refined oil and a little virgin oil, and is often used for everyday cooking.

But are you really only allowed to fry with refined olive oil? The Keuringsdienst van Waarde investigated this. Cheaper olive oils such as 'mild', 'traditional' or 'classic' are often made from damaged or fallen olives and purified via a refining process.

Yet those bottles of 'mild' olive oil are sometimes sold more expensively in Dutch supermarkets than the higher quality extra virgin olive oil, which comes from fresh olives pressed within 24 hours. According to Spanish and Italian experts, that is incomprehensible. Many Dutch people wrongly think that extra virgin is not suitable for frying, but that is a misunderstanding. Chefs from Southern Europe use it for everything, including baking and roasting. Extra virgin olive oil is actually the healthiest product for cooking and baking, Metro wrote earlier.

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